DAILY HOMILIES #elijah

Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.

Naaman almost lost out of his supernatural healing because he looked down at the Jordan River. Of course, it was not the cleanest river in the world. Thanks to his servants who spoke sense into his head; it wasn’t the water itself that would cleanse him but his faith in God.

In the Transfiguration event, Jesus opened the eyes of Peter, James, and John and they were able to see His Glory. The transfiguration goes to show that there is more to reality than what meets the ordinary eye. We need faith to see beyond our present circumstances; to get a full picture of where God is leading us.

Jesus is God in the midst of people. We have no reason to doubt that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Every single prophecy about Jesus came to pass; even those that were made thousands of years before he was born. We do not need any further proof. Jesus is Truly God.

The words of Elizabeth to Mary define her uniqueness amongst everything that God ever created. “Blessed are you among women.” No woman can ever be more popular than Mary, no woman can ever rise to a more glorious position than Mary, and no woman’s name will ever be mentioned on the lips of millions and millions of generations upon generations to come like the name of Mary.

The purpose of our calling as Christians and especially as God’s ministers is to incarnate Christ in our world. As Elijah handed over to Elijah, even the strongest among us would need to be replaced someday. Let us encourage our young ones to respond positively to God’s call. How dark would our world be if there are no ministers or no authentic Christians anymore? However, the truth is that God will never force his calling on anyone. We must also avoid forcing our children into the seminary just for the sake of making a name for our family. It has to come from them. Anyone who has agreed to respond to God’s call must learn to trust God completely and no longer depend on material provisions. This is the symbolic meaning of Elisha’s decision to sacrifice the entire oxen he was working with. And finally, we all have been called to live by the spirit rather than gratifying the desires of the flesh. The minister who fails to practice bodily purity is nothing short of a scandal to the Christian faith preaching one Gospel on the pulpit but preaching something different by his actions.

Our failure to forgive people puts a big question mark on our baptismal certificate. Our failure to be merciful to people as God was merciful to Ahab makes us no better than Jezebel. It is horrible for someone to kill another person (because of land or anything whatsoever) but it is even more horrible for a Christian to partake in jungle justice which has now become the order of the day today.

What does it take to be an Elijah today? Jesus answers this question in today’s Gospel passage; simply put, NO COMPROMISE. There are many Christians who begin very well, they are so devoted to God and aspire for heaven but as time goes on, they begin to bend little by little. You hear things like, “After all, God understands, it is not that bad; it is just a little lie.” A little this, a little that, and like water dripping from a leaking bucket, we soon become dry and begin to align with the world.

You are light; you lead, not copy. You do not follow the trends, you create trends. Light bulbs do not need speakers, they speak by doing their jobs. They don’t pretend. If you turn a light bulb on, it would continue to shine even if no one is in the room. Stop living a fake Christian life – actions speak louder than words. Shine even if no one is clapping. The widow of Zarephath didn’t have much but she had faith. She obeyed the command of Elijah even when it didn’t make sense and God rewarded her faith. Do you believe there is any value in being salt of the earth and light of the world today? Are you willing to obey God when it seems as if you have nothing to live on? Would you rather chase money or chase holiness? The choice is yours to make.

When you seek first God’s Kingdom and prioritize righteousness, you may not become rich and famous in the eyes of the world but Jesus says you will find true inner satisfaction and peace. When you mourn over the sinfulness and evil pervading our world and refuse to be indifferent, Jesus says you will find true comfort.

“No prophet is acceptable in his own country” In other words: Why do you always look down on what is yours? It is because of this attitude that Elijah was sent to Zarephath. There were many lepers in your town but none of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Can we then say that John the Baptist is a reincarnation of Elijah? Certainly No. John the Baptist was completely different from Elijah, but with the kind of life he lived, he became a perfect representation of Elijah and helped to fulfill the prophecy about the return of Elijah.